A Shining Star In Any Universe
by NShadows
Summary: Sarah Jane once told Rose she could find her when it was all over, if she wanted to talk. This probably isn't what she meant. Post Journey's End.


I don't own Doctor Who! The anniversary and the docudrama and everything has me a bit nostalgic the last few days. I apologize in advance. Let me know how I did? -N

A house stood at the end of the lane, the sea breeze fresh and cool as it moved across the couples faces. They stood looking at it for a long moment before the blonde finally sighed and stood straighter.

Rose squeezed her Doctor's hand. "I'd like to see her."

He smiled down at her, oh so sadly. "She's not the same, you know that."

"She told me to find her, when I needed to."

"It wasn't her," he said patiently.

Rose nodded slightly, already letting go of his hand and moving away from him. The house that sat on the shore beckoned to her.

She knocked once on the front door, hesitating before turning to move away from the house.

"Hello?"

Rose stared at the woman that had come around the edge of the house. "Sarah?"

The older brunette smiled tightly. "Sarah Jane, if you don't mind. I recognize you from the telly, Ms. Tyler. I tried to get an interview with you."

"I didn't know," Rose felt her heart constricting. "May I speak with you for a few minutes?"

There was a squeal of laughter and Sarah Jane turned, looking over her shoulder. "It's not really a good time. Maybe we can make an appointment."

"Please?"

Sarah Jane watched her a moment, then nodded, obviously seeing something in the younger girls eyes. She nodded back towards the backyard. "My grandkids are over. We'll sit in the backyard with them."

Rose followed her and sat on the chair opposite the reporter. "You've been married long?"

"Yes, I married young, actually."

"You kept Smith as your name though?"

"Yes." The brunette shrugged. "Seemed right, I was just getting a start at reporting." She frowned. "Why are you here, Ms Tyler?"

"I'm gonna keep Tyler. My fiancée… his name is Smith. John Smith."

There was no spark of recognition. No soft sigh and an 'Oh yes, _him_.' Instead Sarah Jane nodded politely. It made Rose's heart hurt.

There was a long almost awkward silence. "How much do you know about what Torchwood does?"

"Quite a bit. They're rather honest and straight forward, aren't they? You're the mystery."

Despite herself, Rose smiled very slightly. "Am I?"

"Your mother died, Ms Tyler. During the Cybermen fiasco. Not only that, the only Rose Tyler I could find was a dog." Sarah Jane tilted her head to the side slightly. "Now, there's a new Jackie Tyler, and she's much different from her predecessor. And well, you are Rose."

"I'm from an alternate world."

Sarah Jane stared at her, eyes calculating. "Well, that I wasn't expecting."

"I'm sure you've heard of the Doctor?"

"Of course. That secret man, who saved us all."

"He wasn't exactly from around here."

"He was from your world?"

"No, but we were from the same universe." She hesitated. "He was my universe."

"So things are similar here, in alternate realities, like the scientists say?"

"Yes."

"This will make an amazing story." Sarah Jane nodded, encouraging her to continue.

Rose watched the children playing instead. "The Doctor in the TARDIS. His long line of companions. You told me to find you, if I ever needed to." She smiled very slightly. "It's just a different you."

"You knew me? Over there?"

"We only met a couple times to be honest. There's a bond though, among people like us."

"People like us?"

"Companions, assistants," she laughed at the old joke she knew this Sarah Jane wouldn't get. "We traveled through space and time, with him. Then, when it was time, we moved on. He was right you know, we can spend the rest of our lives with him, but he can't spend the rest of his life with us." She smiled. "Guess he solved that for me."

"I don't understand."

"I was… special once. For a little while, I saw all that ever could be. Sometimes, I still pick up on things. Feelings. A result of the universes righting themselves after Davros. Or maybe another of those mysterious bonds between those of us that have traveled with him. My fiancée says it will pass in time. I know that my best friend married a good woman, finally. I know that a good friend of mine is hurting, always hurting. I made him immortal. I would fix it if I could."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"It makes a good story, right?" She sighed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have bothered you."

"I'm very confused, Ms Tyler."

"Rose. Please."

"Okay, Rose."

"I came here, wanting to see someone that isn't here. I'm sorry."

"So am I, Rose." She smiled at her. "I bet I liked you."

"No, not really. Not at first. I think we would have been friends, though. Maybe we are, in another life."

"I'll walk you out."

They walked to Rose's car after a stern warning to the children to stay put. There, waiting silently, was a man in a blue suit, hair brown and eyes smiling.

"Mrs. Smith," he smiled and shook her hand. "Pleasure to meet you."

"My fiancée," Rose said with a sad smile, because there was no recognition, and somehow she kept thinking there would be.

"Pleasure to meet you. Mr. Smith, right?"

"Yes."

"Interesting name, John Smith."

For a moment the man simply beamed. "Sarah Jane Smith, a shining star in any universe."

Sarah Jane turned to Rose. "I have a feeling this was a one-time meeting, and I shall never see you again."

"You won't."

"What was so special, Rose, that you had to see me today?"

Rose and John exchanged a look, and after a moment, John shrugged.

"Sarah Jane Smith, our Sarah Jane, died. I felt it. I don't know why, but I thought maybe…" _maybe you should know_. Rose shrugged. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have bothered you."

To her credit, even though she paled, she gave no other reaction. "I see."

"She saved Earth, she did, so many times. Her son, and his friends, it's what they did, what they will probably keep doing. She traveled farther than you could imagine, saw more than..." John trailed off, a sad smile in place. "We live on, Ms Smith. That's what I've always done, but… She was special, to so many."

"I'm glad. Glad she was known."

"You have a family, Mrs. Smith. She never did, not until much later. Not the way you think of family at least," Rose added, wishing there was some way to make this woman understand their purpose in coming here, when she wasn't sure she understood it herself. "But oh, she had family, she was part of the largest, greatest family in the whole of creation."

"She was my family," John added quietly.

And now, this Sarah Jane smiled, color back in her cheeks. "You loved her."

He smiled. "Very much. There will never be another like her." He smiled down at Rose. "Will there?"

Rose only shook her head, tears gathering in her eyes as she understood why he had warned her not to do this. It helped nothing. "No."

"Grandmother? Grandmother?" A voice called and a moment later a young girl ran around the corner. Dark hair and eyes, yellow dress swirling around her, a stern expression on her face. "Michael isn't sharing the ball. I told him I was coming to fetch you if he didn't share."

"Oh," Sarah Jane said dramatically. "Well, we shall have to sort him, shan't we?" And she nodded to the little girl and back to them. She turned back to them, a smile on her face, and maybe a sheen of tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry for your loss, Mister Smith and Miss Tyler."

"So are we," John said softly, smiling at her sadly. "Go back to your family, Sarah Jane. Enjoy them."

The woman nodded and followed her granddaughter, disappearing back around the corner of the house.

"I'm sorry," Rose said softly. "I really don't know how I expected that to go."

"No one ever does with these sorts of things." He squeezed her in a quick hug. "Come on, let's head back and see what trouble your mum is up to."

"Why do you always blame my mum?"

"Have you met your mum?" And she didn't think he was joking. She tugged on his hand to make him stop. "What is it?"

"Will you tell me about her? Properly tell me? I know, it won't help anything, but…" She shrugged.

"Yes, I will," he said solemly. "Her today, and maybe Leela next week. And then Jaime and Zoe, and Barbara and Ian. You'll have to take notes, but I'll tell you everything. All of them, from the beginning."

Rose nodded. "Good. I just think everyone deserves to be remembered. Even a universe away."

And there was no argument for that.


End file.
